Continuing through July 26, 2025
William Rhodes’ current exhibition explores themes of African American experience as grounded in a deep connection to familial history and infused with spiritual and humanist values. His choice of media, including wooden supports and hand-carved objects, relates to his background in furniture design. Rhodes exhibits eleven wall-mounted works, nine of which are sculptural assemblages, along with two quilts.
The sculptural works combine hand-carved wood, paint, needle and thread, photos, and assorted found objects. Many include glowing neon words literally illuminating poignant or sardonic content. His starkly dramatic black and white palette, punctuated with strong red accents, lends gravitas to the artist’s imagery, derived from his personal history. Several pieces incorporate family photos.
Emotional intensity infuses the work, which expresses conflicting impulses of pride, grief, anger, gratitude, and joy. It draws primarily on the long-established tradition of the artist’s box, as pioneered by Joseph Cornell and subsequently embraced by many artists that he influenced, including George Herms, Bruce Conner, Lawrence Jordan, Carolee Schneeman,, and Betye Saar, the last best known for her searing critiques of racism and sexism. While closely aligned with Saar’s work, Rhodes offers a more subtle and nuanced take.
The young Black man in “Woke,” attired in military uniform, gazes at us with a mixture of pride and resignation. His framed photograph rests upon an image of the American flag, displayed vertically, with the word “WOKE” in neon prominently looming above it. Raised to have utmost respect for military service, Rhodes exposes the brutal flippancy of the dismissive term hurled by somnambulant racists in this bitterly ironic statement.
Rhodes presents another strong statement with “Juke,” which employs a weathered wooden chest, splayed open, with a red neon light glowing from within. On the right, a photo depicts a smiling woman and a somber man posed in front of tropical foliage. To the left, in the lid, a paddle fan bears a caricature of a Black singer with red lips extended in song and highly stylized, cartoonish eyes. Steeped in racial stereotypes, the image is an insidiously creepy reference to the demeaning roles that Black performers were once restricted to.
“Women and Labor” is anchored by an image of two young Black women wearing welding helmets. The word “Mother” formed in neon hovers above, emitting a rosy coral-hued light. Seven small balls of thick red thread rest upon the lower edge of the wooden box housing the work. One strand trails off onto the figure on the right, where it is embroidered into the shape of a heart; the artist’s use of thread is inspired by his grandmother’s work as a seamstress. Rhodes’ hand-carved African mermaid figures, flanking the box, emphasize thick lips, pendulous breasts, swollen bellies, and fish tails, all orchestrated to give “Labor” its dual meaning.
Two large quilts hang on opposite sides of the gallery. On the east wall is “Black Times Quilt – 1971 Edition (Nina Simone).” Rhodes’ father, William Rhodes Jr., published an East Coast periodical in the 1960s and 70s which showcased the contributions of African American performers and activists. The other, “Hunters Point Shipyard Quilt,” features images of Black shipyard workers who flocked to Bayview in the early 1940s to participate in the war effort. In both cases, vintage imagery is mingled with contemporary portraits to convey how everyday people rise to the historical moment to become saints and heroes. Rhodes, who is a community service activist, works with seniors on quilt projects as director of the Intergenerational Community Arts Program for Bayview Services. One of Rhodes’ quilts is also included in “Routed West: Twentieth-Century African American Quilts in California,” currently on view at Berkeley Art Museum.
Rhodes’ work reveals one individual’s experience of the world’s wonders and its sadness. From this experience the artist develops a resilient, determined body of work that celebrates creativity while simultaneously supporting his community. Free of pretention, Rhodes’ work is accessible yet sophisticated. Immersed in human connection and the value of strong family ties, it proposes that, the challenging circumstances of our time notwithstanding, there just may be some hope for humanity after all.
